Category: Athletic

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Premier League final-day permutations

As the Premier League curtain draws to a close on Sunday there will be drama at the top and at the bottom, with everything to play for from the race for the title to European places and relegation.

Supersport.com takes you through all the permutations ahead of what promises to be an intriguing afternoon.

• TITLE RACE – MAN CITY OR LIVEPOOL?

As things stand, Manchester City are the title favourites as they occupy top spot on 90 points with challengers Liverpool a point behind in second.

Victory for Pep Guardiola’s charges over Aston Villa secures them the title, while a draw would be enough if Liverpool fail to beat visitors Wolves.

According to Opta, When playing their final game of a league season at home, Liverpool are unbeaten in 15 matches (W13 D2), while Manchester City have only lost their final league game in one of the last 13 campaigns (W10 D2).

City have won nine of their last 10 Premier League games against Aston Villa (D1), including the last six in a row, and Liverpool have won each of their last 10 Premier League games against Wolves, including eight clean sheets.

• UCL RACE – TOTTENHAM OR ARSENAL?

After midweek matches, Chelsea are guaranteed to finish third and have therefore secured Champions League football for next season, leaving Tottenham and Arsenal to battle it out for the final spot.

Arsenal had it all in their hands until they lost the North London derby against rivals Spurs and followed that up with a midweek loss to Newcastle, which turned the tide in Spurs’ favour going to the final day.

Antonio Conte’s charges are two points clear of their rivals with a far superior goal difference. A win or draw for Tottenham against already relegated Norwich will secure them a top-four finish while for Arsenal, only victory over Everton at the Emirates will give them hope.

Tottenham have lost their final league game in just one of the last 11 campaigns (W8 D2), going down 5-1 at already relegated Newcastle in 2015-16. Arsenal are unbeaten in their final league game in each of the last 16 seasons (W14 D2), winning the last 10 in a row.

• REST OF EUROPEAN PLACES

Liverpool winning the FA Cup opened up an extra Europa League spot, with fifth and sixth set to qualify. Arsenal or Tottenham will take up one.

Manchester United sit in sixth on 58 points, two points ahead of West Ham, who are vying for the additional spot. However, Manchester United need to beat hosts Crystal Palace to guarantee sixth.

A draw or defeat will open the door for West Ham, who can walk through it with victory at Brighton. The seventh-placed side will then drop into the Europa Conference League.

West Ham have won just one of their last 10 away league games against Brighton (D3 L6), while Man Utd are looking to complete their first league double over Crystal Palace since 2017/18, following their 1-0 win at Old Trafford in December.

• RELEGATION – BURNLEY OR LEEDS UNITED?

Everton’s dramatic come-from-behind win over Crystal Palace on Thursday evening means they are safe, leaving Leeds and Burnley to scrap it out on the final day to avoid filling the third relegation spot.

Leeds travel to Brentford, while Burnley entertain Newcastle.

Burnley have lost their final league game in each of the last five Premier League campaigns since their return to the division in 2016, having won on MD38 in the two seasons they were relegated.

Each of the last four teams in their debut Premier League campaign have lost their final game of the season (Cardiff, Bournemouth, Brighton and Huddersfield), with Swansea in 2011-12 the last such team to win.

Source: Modern Ghana

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Samuel Inkoom scores as ‘depleted’ Hearts down Bibiani Gold Stars

Accra, May 19, GNA – A first-half strike from the penalty spot by Samuel Inkoom ensured Hearts of Oak secured maximum points against Bibiani Gold Stars in a match-day 29 encounter of the 2021/22 Ghana Premier League.

It was Inkoom’s second goal for the Phobians as they moved up into third position with 47 points, with five matches to end the season.

Hearts were missing a sizable number of players due to a “strange” illness that had hit their camp, having only named four substitutes on the bench.

Sulley Muntari, who has missed a couple of games, was named in the starting line-up while Larry Sumalia made his first start of the season at center-back.

Hearts started the game on the front foot and deservedly went ahead in the 12th minute after the referee, Qadir Abdul Latif, awarded them a penalty after Benjamin Yorke was brought down.

Inkoom made no mistake from 12 yards as he struck the ball past Bibiani Gold Stars goalkeeper Yaw Ansah Fufro.

Hearts, despite missing a few of the starters, were very dominant in possession and Sulley Muntari should have doubled the lead for the Phobians but goalkeeper Yaw Ansah delivered a stunning save to deny the former Ghanaian International.

Enock Asuboteng who was handed a rare start also had a glorious opportunity to give Hearts the cushion goal but shockingly missed from close range in the late stages of the first half.

The first half ended with Hearts holding on to their slim advantage.

Hearts started the second half on a sluggish note and Gold Stars striker Prince Owusu Kwabena should have found the back of the net in the 47th minute, but goalkeeper Richard Attah pulled off a brilliant save.

The pressure from the away side in the second half was relentless and Prince Opoku Agyemeng came close with a drive at a goal which went wide with a quarter of the game left.

Hearts were largely on the back foot for the most part of the second half, with players beginning to show some glimpses of fatigue in their play.

Bibiani Gold Stars player Evans Owusu came close in the late stages of the game with a long-range drive, but goalkeeper Richard Attah was equal to the task once again.

Despite the late surge for an equalizer from the away side, Hearts held on to secure all three points at the end of the match.

Man-of-the-Match: Mohammed Alhassan

Source: Ghana News Agency

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 Samuel Inkoom’s penalty enough as Hearts of Oak beat Gold Stars

A penalty kick converted by defender Samuel Inkoom was all Hearts of Oak needed on Wednesday afternoon to see off Bibiani Gold Stars in the Ghana Premier League.

The Phobians despite having some of their top players hospitalised went into today’s matchday 29 fixture booming with confidence to amass the points at stake.

At the Accra Sports Stadium, the hosts started off very well and earned a penalty kick in the 11th minute after Benjamin Yorke was fouled in the Gold Stars area.

Full-back Samuel Inkoom accepted the responsibility from 12 yards and made no mistake as he fired his effort into the back of the net to give his team the lead.

In the remainder of the game especially in the second half, Bibiani Gold Stars played better but failed to find the back of the net.

While Hearts of Oak also could have scored a second to kill off the game, the attackers were unlucky in front of goal and had to settle for a 1-0 win at the end of the 90 minutes.

Source: Modern Ghana

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This ban will not stand’ – Ashgold’s Seth Osei reacts to being banned for 30 months

AshantiGold SC midfielder, Seth Osei, has rubbished reports that he was involved in the match-fixing tie against Inter Allies last season that rocked the country.

The Miners beat Allies 7-0 at the Len Clay Stadium in the matchday 34 games. Inter Allies defender Hashmin Musah scored two deliberate own goals and later disclosed that he did that to ruin a bet.

After a thorough investigation, the Disciplinary Committee of the FA on Monday demoted both clubs to Division Two with heavy fines.

Players and officials of both clubs have been slapped with various bans as well.

Osei, who has been banned for 30 months for his involvement in speaking in an interview said he does not believe the ban will be effective as he was not involved.

“I am innocent and I am not worried about this ban,” the 22-year-old told Kumasi-based Pure FM.

“I have no idea about this because I was not involved in this scandal and for me, this ban will not stand.

“I never had communication with any player ahead of the game and that is my worry.

“This ban will not stand because I am innocent,” he added.

The sanctions will take effect during the 2022/23 Ghana football season.

Source: Modern Ghana

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King Faisal defeats Eleven Wonders 1-0 to end 10-game winless run

King Faisal on Wednesday afternoon put up a fantastic fight to brush aside Eleven Wonders with a 1-0 win to end a poor run of ten matches without a win in the Ghana Premier League.

The Kumasi-based club in the last few months has struggled to compete in the Ghanaian top-flight league.

As a result, there has been a managerial change as part of efforts to ensure the team escapes relegation.

Today at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, King Faisal hosted Eleven Wonders hoping to record a win for the first time after going ten games without victory.

In that run of poor form, the team lost as many as eight matches and drew the other two games.

Fortunately, all that misery has come to an end today. King Faisal despite playing with a lot of caution today, managed to cruise to victory thanks to a solitary strike from Enoch Morrison.

Courtesy of today’s win, King Faisal has climbed three places away from the relegation zone of the Ghana Premier League table.

Source: Modern Ghana

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African abroad: Mane has last laugh on Mendy

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane had the last laugh on Senegal teammate and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy in the FA Cup final at the weekend as the Reds triumphed on penalties.

Mendy saved a Mane shootout kick, but Liverpool triumphed 6-5 on penalties to complete a finals double over Chelsea this season having won the League Cup in similar fashion.

Another Senegal star in the spotlight was Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye, who missed a 4-0 win at Montpellier for “personal reasons”.

It is widely believed he opted to miss the match because he disapproved of wearing a shirt with rainbow motifs for Ligue 1’s weekend in support of efforts to combat homophobia.

ENGLAND

• SADIO MANE (Liverpool), EDOUARD MENDY (Chelsea)

Mane scored the winning spot-kicks as he and Mendy lifted the Africa Cup of Nations and qualified for the World Cup in shootout wins over Egypt this year. However, this time he failed to find the net with the chance to win the Cup as Mendy saved low to his left.

• RIYAD MAHREZ (Manchester City)

Mahrez saw his 86th-minute penalty saved as Manchester City’s march toward the Premier League title stumbled in a 2-2 draw at West Ham. Earlier, the Algerian did have a hand in the City equaliser as his free-kick was turned into his own net by Vladimir Coufal.

SPAIN

• YOUSSEF EN-NESYRI (Sevilla)

The Moroccan secured Champions League qualification for Sevilla after heading a late equaliser that snatched a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid. Sevilla needed a point to seal their place among La Liga’s top four, but their fight looked set to go to the final day of the season after Jose Gimenez gave Atletico the lead. En-Nesyri saved Sevilla with five minutes left, nodding home Oliver Torres’ cross.

• PATHE CISS (Rayo Vallecano)

Senegalese Ciss scored his third goal of the season, but could not prevent Rayo losing 2-1 away at relegation-battling Mallorca. The midfielder headed in a corner to equalise on the hour, but Mallorca struck a 92nd-minute winner, Abdon Prats firing in to boost Mallorca’s survival hopes.

ITALY

• VICTOR OSIMHEN (Napoli)

Nigerian Osimhen put Napoli ahead during the first half in a 3-0 victory over relegated Genoa that guaranteed a third-place finish in Serie A. It was his 14th league goal of the season, leaving him 13 behind Golden Boot leader Ciro Immobile from Lazio.

GERMANY

• TAIWO AWONIYI (Union Berlin)

The Nigerian finished the season with 20 goals after netting twice in a 3-2 home win over Bochum which secured Europa League football for Union. He converted a penalty to put Berlin 2-0 up, but after Bochum levelled, Awoniyi muscled his way into the box, chested the ball down and smashed in the 88th-minute winner.

• ISHAK BELFODIL (Hertha Berlin)

The Algeria striker netted an early penalty as Hertha looked on course to win at Borussia Dortmund on the last day of the season and guarantee their survival. However, the hosts roared back with Youssoufa Moukoko scoring the winner moments after coming off the bench. The away defeat means Hertha must win a two-leg play-off against second division opponents to remain in the Bundesliga.

FRANCE

• IDRISSA GANA GUEYE (Paris Saint-Germain)

Gueye was facing questions in France after missing PSG’s away win against Montpellier for what coach Mauricio Pochettino called “personal reasons”. It is widely believed he opted out because he disapproved of wearing a shirt with rainbow motifs for Ligue 1’s weekend in support of efforts to combat homophobia. The Rouge Direct anti-homophobia group said. “The LFP (League) and PSG must ask Gana Gueye to explain himself and very quickly. And punish him if necessary.”

• DIDIER LAMKEL ZA (Metz)

Cameroon international Lamkel Ze scored a 50th-minute header to give struggling Metz a 1-0 win against Angers. Metz have 31 points to put them in 18th place, equal on points with Saint-Etienne, meaning they are currently in the position for a play-off against a Ligue 2 team. Metz face already-crowned champions PSG next weekend when Saint Etienne play Nantes. “We’re still alive,” said Metz coach Frederic Antonetti.

Source: Modern Ghana

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Fixing The Country Movement condemns Haruna Iddrisu for allegedly threatening state security

Fixing the Country Movement has condemned Minority Leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrissu over his assertion that the NDC will stand up to the state security if they failed to exhibit neutrality in the 2024 elections.

Mr. Iddrissu, speaking on GHOne TV last week indicated that “Get my warning, the state security agencies if they fail to demonstrate neutrality, the NDC will stand up to them in 2024. We will stand up to them because we have a right to defense. Because if they cannot be neutral, act responsibly and decide that they are going to side with the ruling elite and ruling government, we will bear the consequences with them.”

But the Minority leader’s warning to the security agencies has received condemnation from section of Ghanaians including pressure group, Fixing the Country Movement.

In a press statement signed by it convener, Mr. Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah, Fixing the Country Movement described the statement as unfortunate as it seek to endorse electoral violence.

“As unfortunate as this sounds, one would have thought that the minority leader would be interested in talking down electoral violence but no, he chose to double down on violence.

“This is politics at its worst. We are appalled, angry and sad that the minority leader in parliament is gleefully endorsing and preaching electoral violence” the statement added.

Fixing the Country Movement has warned the Minority leader to halt his populist rhetoric or face the wrath of the pressure group.

Below is the full press statement from the Fixing the Country Movement:

Haruna Iddrisu must stop the rhetoric or we will face him squarely

By Fixing The Country Movement

May 14, 2022

The fixing the country movement joins the totality of right thinking Ghanaians to condemn the minority leader, Hon Haruna Iddrisu over his flowery rhetoric and attrition against our security institutions.

In a widely circulated video, Haruna Iddrisu issued several threats to state security, and warned that the NDC is going to come at them if they attempt to deliver on their legitimate mandate in policing the 2024 elections.

“We will never give up,” he said. “We will never concede. It will never happen. The NDC is going to win 2024, and we will fight the security agencies if they dare stopping us. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore.”

He continued; we will show strength, and… We fight the security agencies like hell if they try to stop us.

As unfortunate as this sounds, one would have thought that the minority leader would be interested in talking down electoral violence but no, he chose to double down on violence.

Of course, we do not expect a witless and gutless law maker to be a paragon of political integrity and critical thinking, but aside everything, what happened to his political consciousness?

The trouble with this ideological weirdness, hatred and paranoia that Haruna Iddrisu is preaching is that, it will eventually consume more of his likes. These people are simply a pawn in their own game. They value faith over rationality, rejection over openness, and fanaticism over moderation.

Instead of Haruna Iddrisu engaging his audience with maturity, he chose the path of war mongering, and politics of attrition. Perhaps, more worrying from the point of view of protecting democracy are NDC efforts to mess with how votes are counted and certified, and who is responsible for elections. The bottom-feeder Haruna Iddrisu sees achieving these through electoral violence.

This is politics at its worst. We are appalled, angry and sad that the minority leader in parliament is gleefully endorsing and preaching electoral violence.

As a matter of fact, we are aware that Haruna Iddrisu has lost face with the movers and shakers in the NDC, and as such he want to save face and restore himself, but we want to caution him to be watchful of his steps.

When you’ve got poop all over your feet, you don’t walk on a white rag.

Fixing the country movement will not fold our arms unconcerned while the likes of Haruna Iddrisu engages in political folly by threatening the state.

We’re by this press release cautioning Haruna Iddrisu and his likes to halt their populist rhetoric or they will face the wrath of fixing the country movement in a way they can never understand.

Source: Modern Ghana

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DOL: Baffour Soccer Academy banned from using Twumasi Sports Complex as home venue

The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) has banned Baffour Soccer Academy from using the Twumasi Sports Complex as its Home Venue with immediate effect.

This decision was taken following assaults and throwing of stones aimed at Players and Officials by supporters of the the Club on Sunday, May 8, 2022.

The GFA Competitions Department will fix venues for upcoming home matches of Baffour Soccer Academy taking into consideration the distance to be travelled by the away teams.

Below are contents of letters sent to each of the Club:

The seminars and meetings on Safety and Security at match venues organised by the Ghana Football Association (the Association or the GFA) for clubs, the GFA Regulations on Safety and Security and the Disciplinary Code refer.

It is against this background of the efforts invested into promoting the safety and security at our matches that the Association is shocked and extremely alarmed at the criminal assaults on the team officials and players of the Away Team-Tamale City FC, the destruction to their team bus and the holding of the match officials hostage at the Twumasi Sports Complex at Nsoatre in the Bono Region by the home supporters in the Division One League – Zone 1 match played between Baffour Soccer Academy and Tamale City FC on Sunday, May 8, 2022, which ended 1-1.

Again, considering the fact that the GFA has a process for complaining about any alleged bad officiating (if any) for redress through the Match Review Panel, the Executive Council of the Association see any attack on the Match Officials and any participant of the game as “an attack against the entire sport, it being, unwarranted and criminal”.

The Executive Council has accordingly exercised its powers under Article 14(2) of the Division One League Regulations and has banned the venue for the use of Baffour Soccer Academy indefinitely.

14(2) “The GFA may order the closure of any league centre/venue where the safety of clubs, match officials and/or spectators cannot be guaranteed”.

The GFA notes the unacceptable conduct the supporters of the home team -Baffour Soccer Academy and condemns, without any reservations, the violations of the provisions of the GFA the Safety and Security Regulations which took place at the match.

The GFA Prosecutors have been tasked to study all the evidence and the match reports and prefer appropriate Charges immediately and for the Disciplinary Committee to sit on this matter expeditiously.

The GFA demands that Baffour Soccer Academy shall immediately assist the Regional Police to cause the arrest of the persons involved in this attack on the away team, the bus and the holding of the match officials hostage, without fail, in accordance with the promise given by the clubs to the Inspector General of Police in our engagement with the leadership of the Ghana Police Service.

The Association has instructed the Competitions Department to fix the venues for the upcoming home matches of Baffour Soccer Academy FC, until the case is determined, with due regards to the distance to be travelled by the away teams (note that matches can be fixed at the home of the away team, if required).

That all clubs are to take note and comply strictly with the GFA Matchday COVID-19 Protocols, the Safety & Security Regulations and the GFA Disciplinary Code.

The GFA wishes to sound a strong note of caution to all members (especially all clubs) that the slightest harassment or attack on Players, Team Officials, Match Officials (Referees, Match Commissioners, GFA Cameramen & Women, Venue Media Officers, the sports media) shall be dealt with severely and swiftly.

Also, any comments from any player, team or club official and club social media handles which incites supporters against other teams and match officials shall be dealt with as well (charges shall be preferred as well).

There shall be zero tolerance for violence and/or incitement to violence in our game especially in this second round of the leagues.

Source: Modern Ghana